How to Deal With Horrible Bosses

Not for its quality acting, brilliant writing, or excellent cinematography, but for the fact that it talks about ridding the world of horrible bosses.
Such a noble thought that is. In all my years of corporate slavery, never have I once heard, ONCE, ‘Mate, my boss is the best.’

Where do they come from? How many of them there really are? What breed are they – a hybrid between aliens and monsters? Should we ring the Men in Black? They change shapes, change forms, do a U-turn on promises. It’s here that the distinction between a man and a woman is blurred, you can never tell the difference. Because once you become the boss, it stops being about the gender. Women bosses are, apparently, equally horrid, throwing in a good measure of mood swings, and bouts of insecurity, and bad hair and face days.

There certainly must be some school for these bosses – a secret society, with its secret rituals, uniforms, catchphrases, an initiation into the world of meanness. How to be a Tool Once you Become a Boss, must be a bestseller in their community. Possible chapters could be: How to sweet talk your employees into doing anything; How to make them feel important, but not really; How to never give them a raise.

We can never fully know what is it that makes them uniquely obnoxious. There are, however, a few horrible traits that different types of bosses have:

1. The Tyrant

He is the bully, the alpha male. He is disrespectful and arrogant. What he says is right. Your opinion doesn’t count. He will run his mouth at you even in front of the office boy just to show you your place. He will use every opportunity to humiliate you.

2. The Silent Killer

He is the kind who will not say anything to you directly. He might be furious with you, but he won’t say a word. He will simple not acknowledge your presence, will exclude you from official emails, will exclude you from meetings.

3. The Unpredictable Kind

One day he is happy as a peach, the other, sour than a lemon. You never know what mood he is going to be in today. When he is in one of those moods, you better not step in to his office.

4. The Meddling Monkey

This guy wants to get into everything. Even wants to know what brand of Phenyl is used in the bathroom. Put simply, he is meddlesome and irritating.

And there are millions of other kinds.

But, for now, how do you get around these roadblocks?

A. Stick it out

Fight through it and hope it gets better, or he retires, or finds someone else to torture.

B. Find out how they like to work

Supposing your boss likes to talk things through in person, say seeking some clarifications on a letter or a memo, and you’re someone who believes in communicating through email, you should switch to his way of working.

C. Let your work do the talking

Always make sure your work is on time and of acceptable standards. Maybe if he sees you hard at work, he might have a change of heart. Always take the initiative and seek out things you can do. Constantly improve your skills.

D. Come to work on time and leave slightly late

But learn to say No where you feel you can’t do it, like being asked to come on a Sunday to work. Be humble, but don’t be a doormat. Respect yourself enough to stand up against injustice.

If you’re in a large MNC, you can approach the HR and ask them to step in, if not, then you have no other option but to talk to your boss directly. Seek a convenient time and talk it out, express your issues. Don’t be too polite, but don’t be too aggressive either.
Once you come out with it, you will feel lighter and much better. It’s only till the time you actually speak you are nervous. Trust me, that’s way better than doing nothing about it.

F. Speak to your colleagues

Find out if they have been going through the same issues as you have. If yes, and then find out how you can get across to your boss’s boss. Gather some support and give a written complaint and hope something good comes out of it.

What if I lose my job? Well, you will always run that risk. I know there are loans and rents and EMIs to be repaid, but it is always better to be proactive. To take control of the situation. You cannot let anyone treat you badly, even if it’s an employer who gives you a paycheck every month. There is no need to suck up to him. Gather yourself and find another job. (Work Life, MensXP.com)